FORMER Royal Scots soldier Rob Kingsley is now one of the best Elvis tribute acts taking care of business, performing his show A Vision Of Elvis.

Playing the Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow night at 7.30pm will be a million miles away from the Scotsman's days spent in the desert during the first Gulf War, as well as in Kosovo and Northern Ireland.

Instead of army fatigues, Kingsley now finds himself in a diamante-studded Vegas jumpsuit as the King in a show that celebrates the music of Presley from Sun Studios to the Movie Years, the 68 Comeback Special to the Las Vegas concert years finale.

"Every morning I get up, have a wee laugh and think, ‘how did that happen?’. It’s totally crazy," says Kingsley, whose act has drawn praise from Elvis's own tour manager, Ed Bonja. "He sings like Elvis, looks like Elvis, hell, he even walks like Elvis, he even has the on-stage charisma that Elvis had," reckons Bonja.

How come Kingsley ended up being an Elvis act? "Initially I had no plans to become an Elvis tribute, as I was enjoying being in the Army. It was only following a knee operation that went wrong that I had to re-evaluate my future, so it was more a case of Elvis finding me rather than me finding Elvis," he says.

"I’d left the Army in 2002 following my knee operation, as I was offered a job I didn’t really want to do. For the next two years I concentrated on some projects around the home. It was actually two years later, when planning a trip to Spain, that I had got in touch with my old boss from the Army, to which he replied to forget that, and visit him in Cyprus.

"While over there, we visited a bar which had karaoke. Having had a few drinks, I thought 'why not' and sang an Elvis song."

Kingsley was offered a role as the bar's Elvis tribute an d his Presley act has developed from there. "I’m an avid Elvis fan, so there’s not a day that goes by where I’m not either listening to an Elvis song or watching an Elvis performance," he says.

"That’s not to say it’s easy to perform, as Elvis has big shoes to fill. There were also a number of different eras of Elvis’s career, so each particular era requires me to do my homework, so I’m able to offer fans a true tribute of Elvis. This can include a number of changes behind the scenes such as wigs, as well as costumes from different eras."

While nerves are always a factor, they make the shows so special, suggests Kingsley. "The process normally starts around two hours before. My wife will apply my make-up and wig, while I listen to Elvis and hum along in order to warm my vocals up, which helps me really get into character. If you don’t get the butterflies before a performance, then you’re in the wrong job."

Tickets are on sale on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york